


Just Plainly Noticeable

by CaseyMarie



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Gen, Shuichi's here too but he only has one line, Spoilers, pre-game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-24 07:00:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13805928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaseyMarie/pseuds/CaseyMarie
Summary: Everywhere she goes, Tsumugi is the first to be picked out of the crowd.





	Just Plainly Noticeable

Tsumugi smiles, giggling softly behind her hand, raised just high enough to only slightly cover her lips. “Thank you, I worked hard this morning.”

And every other morning. Tsumugi labours in front of the mirror, applying makeup with the caution of a professional. Everything on her face is done purposefully to make her blend in with the people around her as much as possible. She constantly researches the newest trends and most popular brands among her peers and yet she’s always picked out of the crowd. There’s always someone who notices her above everyone else. The face she put so much effort into making unassuming has even become the reason that she's been noticed.

“You look _so_ familiar though. Have we met before? Been on Danganronpa?” The nameless girl speaking to her laughs at that, despite the word sending a shiver up Tsumugi’s spine. ~~_Don’t find out, don’t find out._~~

“I wish, it’s my _dream_ to be on Danganronpa,” Tsumugi sighs and clasps her hands sadly, her actions as deliberate as her appearance.

“Me too! It’s my last year to apply so I’m crossing my fingers,” the girl says, her posture slumping ever so slightly even with the cheery raise of her crossed fingers on both hands.

“Ah, I’ll root for you then,” Tsumugi promises with no intent on doing so and waves goodbye with her lips fixed in a smile that’s as fake as her.

* * *

“You’re Tsumugi Shirogane, right? You can get me onto Danganronpa, _right_?” A boy grabs Tsumugi’s arm, pulling hard enough to make her spin around to face him against her will. She stares into the crazed eyes of the stranger, her carefully crafted mask threatening to slip away completely. Down a drain she constructed herself.

“P-Pardon me..? Sorry, I’m not quite sure who that is,” she says, her smile awkward in the way she’s observed most people’s to be after being mistaken for a stranger. She was so sure she looked nothing like how Tsumugi Shirogane looked to the public. _So_ sure.

The boy continues to tug, the sleeve of her shirt slipping down with the force of it. “Come on, you can trust me, ‘Mugi. We're _friends_. I’d be a perfect participant.”

“I’m really sorry, but you’ve got the wrong person. Please… let go of me,” Tsumugi says, her voice wobbling despite her efforts to keep it as airy as possible. _‘Mugi_? This kid wants to presume he’s anywhere close to being that comfortable with her?

People pass by, frowning at the boy’s conduct, but not interfering. A girl stands nervously to the side and Tsumugi can’t tell who’s side the girl would take if she did cut in. The last thing Tsumugi wants is for this to escalate.

“I’d know you anywhere! I’m Danganronpa’s _biggest_ fan after all, I’ve seen every single episode and I know every character and every staff member and I visited you at school last week, but you were probably too busy helping with Danganronpa to attend that day, which I totally understand because the new season’s coming up - the season that you should let me on, especially after how much effort I’m going through to talk to you.”

Tsumugi stares, unsure by this point if she’s tearing up. _Her school?!_ What else had he found out? Does he know where she lives as well or is that one bit of privacy she still has?

“I promise I’m not that girl. _Please_ , just leave me alone,” she says, trying to tug back her arm softly, but he _pulls_ and it _hurts_ so much. “H-Help! Someone please, this boy’s assaulting me!”

Finally. The girl runs over and she’s followed by more. A man pulls the boy off of her while a young woman scolds him, already calling authorities as she speaks. Tsumugi bows her head, smiling at everyone who came to her aid despite being so happy to ignore her before, so happy to continue with their daily lives before they went home to watch the show she helped create.

She scurries away before she’s recognised again.

A cold shiver runs through her whole body every time a stranger glances at her and she hugs her arms tightly. Maybe she could go shopping tomorrow…

* * *

Tsumugi taps her pen against her clipboard, smiling warmly at the boy auditioning in front of her. He’s wearing a hat that hides his eyes, similar to the one she’s so used to wearing, but stands confidently. She knows that he would never be chosen randomly from the crowd.

Her face feels heavy under the extra makeup she’s applied. Unlike every single other day, she stands there proudly with her entire appearance asking everyone around her to look at her and only at her. Her hair sways around her hips instead of hiding up in a bun and her blue eyes shine.

“So, why do _you_ think you’d be a good participant?” she asks and he raises his head, revealing a pair of swirling eyes, so similar to the ones she’s used to seeing in the streets. She doesn’t react at all. Not even a flinch. "Why should Team Danganronpa pick you over everyone else who's applied?"

“Number 154… My name is Shuichi Saihara.”

* * *

“You’re selecting _yourself_ to be a participant of Danganronpa?” Tsumugi isn’t bothered by the doubtful tone, she just smiles politely like always.

“Why not? Plenty have done it before,” she says, her voice projecting a childlike innocence. The killing game should be an amazing new thing she’s never seen before. _How exciting_ , she thinks flatly.

“And plenty have died before. It’s _so_ much easier to just make a up mastermind than put yourself in there,” the employee sighs, lazily twirling her hair around one of her fingers.

“I don't know if I could create a mastermind with the right depth that I'm looking for." She could. She knows she could. "Maybe you’ll get the chance to when I’m done,” Tsumugi says, and she keeps her voice cheery despite the dark feeling curling in her stomach. She tries not to linger too long on it's source.

The employee bites her lip, looking satisfied with that response. “You know what? You’re right. Good luck, 'Mugi.” She pats Tsumugi on the back in a way that’s probably supposed to be reassuring, but they both know that it’s just a wish for her to die so the employee can get her turn in the spotlight.

Tsumugi’s barely alone for one second when someone calls out her name, running over with an excited expression, pleased to just be in the company of such a noticeable girl.

* * *

Tsumugi steps up to her supervisor, the drafts of her cast in her hands, the _sixteen_ characters that belong solely to her, and holds them close to her chest. Close to her heart. He looks down at her, his expression expectant. Impatient. She can't disappoint him.

She raises her head, meeting his eyes with a steely-eyed gaze of her own. “Is it possible to create my own personality as well?”

**Author's Note:**

> Me? Writing a decently long self-indulgent fic? It's less likely than you think.
> 
> I have a lot of feelings about Tsumugi and I'll continue to (very slowly) write fics about those feelings until someone physically stops me.


End file.
